Why hidden sugar is the worst ingredient in the modern diet

IN OUR heavily processed world, health experts claim sugar can be found in the most unassuming products, from savoury crackers and bread to salad dressings. We hunted down the products with sneaky amounts of added sugar in the supermarket aisles.

Sugar slashed by 20 per cent in soft drinks to combat obesity

Sugar slashed by 20 per cent in soft drinks to combat obesity

IT’S been compared with drugs for its allure and addictive qualities. And while such comparisons are debated in medical circles, anyone who has fought the 3pm sugar craving knows the pull of the little white granules.

But what happens when you’re consuming sugar without even knowing it?

In our heavily processed world, health experts claim sugar can be found in the most unassuming products, from savoury crackers and bread to sushi and seemingly healthy salad dressings.

Sugar can be naturally occurring, such as lactose in milk and fructose in fruit, or added, such as honey or maple syrup.

High amounts of sugar are hidden in a lot of foods.Source:istock

Robbie Clark, dietitian and director of Health Bank, says sugar is often hiding in unsuspecting foods.

“This means you don’t always account for them when considering your sugar intake,” he says.

“However, added or hidden sugar, is the single worst ingredient in the modern diet as it provides calories with no nutritional value or added nutrients, which can damage your health long-term and has a detrimental impact on just about every organ system in the body.”

Nutritionist Jessica Sepel of JS Health says people need to learn to read nutritional panels and ingredient lists on the back of products and try to limit themselves to products with less than 5g of sugar per serve.

If sugar is in the top three ingredients listed, this should be a red flag.

This can be challenging when there are more than 50 words to describe sugar in products, such as glucose, sucrose and corn syrup.

Nutritionist and chef on TV’s Good Chef, Bad Chef, Zoe Bingley-Pullin also warns against artificial sweeteners, which can trick the body into thinking they are going to receive food and, when it doesn’t, can make you even hungrier.

BW Magazine hunted down the products with sneaky amounts of added sugar in the supermarket aisles.

DAIRY

NUTRITIONIST Zoe Bingley-Pullin says people should choose full-fat dairy (in moderation) as taking the fat out of a product can mean something else needs to be added to compensate for the flavour loss. This is most evident in low-fat yoghurt, which can be made up of as much as 15 per cent of sugar (both natural lactose from milk and added sugar).

Some yoghurts have lots of sugar in each serving.Source:istock

She suggests having full-fat natural yoghurt and flavouring it with fresh fruit. Or add Stevia, vanilla bean or cinnamon, which has been shown to reduce sugar cravings.

However, the same doesn’t go for milk. Full-cream and low-fat versions of milk have similar levels of lactose, a naturally occurring sugar found in milk. But when it comes to items such as almond milk, this can have sugar added, so seek out unsweetened versions. And steer clear of flavoured milk.

BREAD

SUGAR is part of the baking process with starch broken down and consumed by yeast in the fermentation process allowing the bread to rise.

“Some brands may also add sugar to bread to help with taste, texture and get a golden outer crust, says celebrity chef and nutritionist Zoe Bingley-Pullin.

Sugar is often added to bread.Source:istock

“Due to the bitter taste of whole wheat, more sugar is also added to wholemeal bread. Checking the ingredient list for added sugar is key.”

SAUCES

TOMATO sauce is one of the worst contenders here, with about one teaspoon of sugar in a 15ml squirt. But it’s not the worst, dietitian Robbie Clark says, with sweet chilli sauce containing roughly double that and barbecue sauce packing in 8g of sugar per 15ml serve.

Nutritionist Jessica Sepel says if sugar appears in the top three ingredients of a product, it should be a red flag to shoppers that there will be a high dose of added sugar.

Some sauces contain lots of hidden sugar.Source:istock

In a popular brand of tomato sauce, sugar is the second ingredient listed, and in the same brand’s barbecue sauce, sugar is the third ingredient.

She warns seemingly healthy salad dressings are also flavoured with added sugar.

A popular brand’s 100 per cent fat-free French dressing has sugar listed as the second ingredient, as does their fat-free thousand island dressing.

ALCOHOL

IT’S no surprise alcohol has sugar in it, but some choices will be far worse than others.

The highest quantity of sugar will be found in cocktails, and particularly those made with syrups, juices and soft drink, says nutritionist Jessica Sepel.

“Steer clear of these and instead go for spirits mixed with soda and fresh lime or lemon,” she says.

“And when drinking wine, red has less sugar than white wine or champagne.”

Red wine has less sugar than champagne or white wine.Source:istock

And think twice before you reach for those pre-mixed spirits, dietitian Robbie Clark warns, as they can contain up to nine teaspoons of sugar in a single serve.

“Sugar is a common ingredient in the preparation of wine, cider, beer and spirits, so don’t think you’re escaping it entirely (by making other choices),” Clark says.

CRACKERS

IT’S hard to imagine some savoury snacks are loaded with sugar, but crackers are among the worst offenders.

Like bread, these cheeseboard favourites are often flavoured with sugar to elevate their taste.

But she adds even the varieties with less sugar hold little nutritional value and should be topped with a protein such as egg or cottage cheese to deliver a long-lasting hunger-busting snack.

CEREAL

“MOST cereals have what I consider to be too much sugar,” nutritionist Jessica Sepel says.

“The worst contenders will be cereals like Coco Pops, but even ones people assume are healthier, like muesli, can have a high sugar content.

“Some can appear to be healthier options with ingredients like honey and maple syrup to sweeten them, but these metabolise in a similar way to sugar in the body.”

Cereal is often thought to be a healthy breakfast but some brands have too much sugar.Source:istock

Dietitian Robbie Clark says shoppers should also beware the less likely culprits, like oats flavoured with honey, which contains 8g of sugar in a 35g sachet.

The best way to avoid hidden sugars in the cereal aisle is to make your own from healthy nuts, seeds and grains.

BAKED BEANS

BEANS on their own are a great source of protein. But tinned versions are packed full of sugar, mostly because of the sauce.

Nutritionist Jessica Sepel says a popular brand of tinned baked beans in tomato sauce has sugar listed as the third ingredient in the sauce, which she says should be a red flag for anyone trying to avoid hidden sugars.

Tinned baked beans often contain a lot of sugar.Source:istock

Dietitian Robbie Clark says that’s about one to two teaspoons of sugar in a half-cup serve of beans.

Sepel says it’s not a difficult process and it tastes better to make your own beans in tomato sauce so you know exactly what is in it.

SUSHI

DURING the sushi- making process, sugar is added to the rice to boost the taste.

But nutritionist Jessica Sepel says people should also be wary of sauces often used in sushi, such as teriyaki and sweet chilli sauce and mayonnaise, which can also be packed with sugar.

Dietitian Robbie Clark says some varieties can contain about one tablespoon of sugar to a cup of sushi rice.

It’s often the sauces in sushi which contain sugar.Source:istock

ENERGY DRINKS

THE amount of sugar in an energy drink can be as high as in a soft drink, nutritionist Jessica Sepel says.

“And the energy effect doesn’t last long,” she adds.

“These drinks also contain a huge amount of caffeine, too much for the body to handle. There are better ways to get energy, even a coffee or two a day is better than an energy drink.”

Dietitian Robbie Clark says a small can have six to eight teaspoons of sugar, while a larger one can have up to 21.